Colour Doppler echocardiographic quantification of prosthetic aortic valve regurgitation in patients with normally...

Colour Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed in 46 patients (age range 16-35 years, mean 26 +/- 8; male 31, female 15) with normally functioning Bjork-Shiley prostheses in aortic position to estimate transprosthetic regurgitation. Regurgitant jet length and height were measured and assessed in multiple views. All patients showed prosthetic regurgitation of varying degree. Regurgitant jets were central in all but 3 (6.5%) patients. Single jets were seen in 28 (61%) and double jets in 18 (39%). Jet height in parasternal long axis view ranged from 0.4 to 1.2 cm (mean 0.7 +/- 0.4 cm) and jet height to left ventricular outflow tract diameter ratio was 0.22 to 0.48 (mean 0.38 +/- 0.13). Prosthetic regurgitation was < or = 2/4 grades in 42 (91%) patients, and combined height of double jets (n = 18) was less than that of the single jets (n = 28) (0.5 +/- 0.3 cm vs 0.8 +/- 0.4 cm, p < 0.05). In conclusion, colour Doppler examination frequently detects prosthetic regurgitation in patients with aortic Bjork-Shiley prostheses; regurgitation is grade 2/4 or less in most of the patients, is overestimated in patients with a single jet and weakly correlates with prosthesis size.